Fastener for receptacles.



EDWIN F. HULBERT, OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN.

FASTEIlER FOR RECEPTACLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

Application filed June18, 1906. Serial No. 322.314.

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. HULBERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at'Keno- I I sha, in the county of Kenosha and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFasteners for Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements infasteners for receptacles, and more particularly to an improvedconstruction of gravity latch or fastener which is designed to beautomatically operated by a closing movement of one part toward theother to lock the parts together.

The object 'of myinvention is to provide an improved fastener or latchof this character which will be composed of comparatively few and simpleparts, that will be easy and cheap to manufacture, which will be capableof being; readily assembled, and which will be dura le in constructionand efficient in operation, and which will embody practically noprojecting parts to be broken off or damaged in handling, my improveddevice being therefore especially applicable for use in connection withshipping-crates, oyster packages, and similar receptacles that aredesigned for the transportatlon of perishable or other goods.

- With this and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds,

myinventlon conslsts in certain constructions, arrangements, andcombinations of the parts hereinafter set forth and claimed. For a fulldescription of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquirea kno wl-' edge of the details of construction .of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand ac companying drawings, 1n which Figure 1 is a vertical sectionalview of my improved fastener in applied position. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of a portion of a box, showing the fastener attached. Fig. 3is a detached detail front view with the plate 10 removed. Fig. 4 is aplan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

In, the drawings theparts to be secured toether are represented as aportion of the body 1 of a receptacle of any desired charac ter, and 2the cover thereof. 3 designates the casing of the fastener. This casingcomprises a base-plate 4, which is substantially semicircular in outlineand which is provided with a swelled or bulged encircling rim or margin5, as shown, and within the said rim is a substantially semicirculargroove or channel 6.

The casing is also formed with a hole 7 and wlth prongs or spurs 8,adapted to penetrate the wood of the part to which it is attached to aslight degree sufficient to hold it from turning axially and to secureit in place before it is permanently attached to the body 1 by means ofthe coacting plate 10 and its attaching shank 11. This plate 10 isadapted to fit over a portion of the outer face of the base-plate 4,with its stud or shank 11. eX- tending through the hole 7 and through ahole in the body 1, the inner end of said shank being mashed to form arivet or bein secured by a nut. In the present instance t e end of theshank is shown as riveted, as indicated at 12. When in position, theplate 10, which is the face-plate of the casing 3, coacts at its upperend with the upper middle portion of the base-plate 4 to form anupwardly-open- .ing socket 9, as clearly illustrated in. the drawings.The upper end of the plate 10 is formed on its inner surface with atransversely-extending substantially semicircular groove 13. ,A catch14, which in the present instance is in the form of a bail or ring, hasits upper cross-bar or connecting-bar 15 mounted in the groove 18, andsaid upper cross-bar is of the same substantial crosssectional outlineas the said groove, so that when the catch 14 is in a horizontalposition the said cross-bar 15 will accurately fit and fill said groove,its flattened outer face registering and flush with the inner face ofthe faceplate 10 at the upper end of the same. The lower and remainingportions of the catch 14 are preferably circular, as shown, and areadapted to fit in the semicircular channel 6 in the base-plate 4, so asto lie flush with the bulged rim 5 on the latter. Hence when thelocking-catch 4 is down and within said channel or groove 6 no part ofsaid catch will pro- 'ect. l As best seen in Fig. 2, the bulged rim 5 ofthe base-plate 4 is interrupted at the bottom to produce a recess 17 atwhich ones finger may be directed to raise the bail-like lockingcatch14.

18 designates the keeper, which is angular lengthwise and is providedwith a strap portion 19, adapted to be secured by screws or any suitablefastening means to one of the parts to be secured togetherin the presentinstance the cover 2. The said keeper is also provided with aninwardly-extending lug 20, adapted to fit around the body-cover andbeyond said lug with a downwardly-facing shoulder 21, beyond which thecatch portion 22 is designed to fit in socket 9 when the two parts ofthe receptacle are brought together for locking engagement. The saidcatch portion is formed on its outer side with a transversely-extendinggroove 23. As the catch portion 22 of the keeper moves into the socket9, it is manifest that its outer end will strike that portion of thefiat face of the connecting-bar 15 which projects beyond the plane ofthe groove 13, it being assumed that the catch 14 is in a perpendicularposition, as it is a gravity-catch. As the keeper strikes this portionof said flat face, it is evident that it will rock the catch outwardlyabout the groove 13 as an aXis, and as soon as the keeper passes intothe socket 9 sulliciently far the groove or gutter 23 in the keeper willregister with the groove 13 in the lock-casing and permit thegravity-catch 14 to swing downwardly and into the groove 23, by whichmeans it will securely lock the keeper in the socket. To unlock theparts, it is only necessary to swing the catch 14 outwardly until theflat face of the portion 15 registers with the inner surface of theface-plate 10, at which time the keeper 18 may be retracted.

It is to be noted that the particular construction of locking-catchherein illustrated admits of the said catch performing the function of abail or handle without detracting from its primary function as a catch.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In afastener for receptacles, the combination with parts to be securedtogether of a casing secured to one of said parts and provided with akeeper-receiving socket and a groove in one wall opening into saidsocket, a catch mounted to swing in said groove, and so arranged that inone position it will lie flush with the margin of said groove and inanother position will project beyond said margin, and a keeper adaptedto enter said socket and provided with a groove in its side facing thegroove in the casing, said keeper being arranged to engage theprojecting end of said catch and swing it in one direction whereby toallow the keeper to pass and bring its groove in registry with thegroove in the casing, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fastener for receptacles the combination with parts to besecured together, of a casing secured to one of said parts and providedwith a'keeper-receiving socket and a semicircular transversely-extendinggroove in one vertical wall, said groove opening into said socket, aring-like gravity-catch having a semicircular cross-bar swung in saidgroove, the flat face of said cross-bar projecting out of said groovewhen the gravity-catch is in the down position, the said face retreatinginto said groove when the catch is swung outwardly, and a keeper securedto the other part, said keeper being adapted to enter said socket andprovided with a groove facing the groove in the casing, as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a fastener for receptacles the combination with parts to besecured together, of a casing secured to one of said parts and ofsubstantially semicircular shape, said casing consisting of a base-plateprovided with a bulged rim and a substantially semicircular groovewithin the margin of said rim, and a face-plate provided with anattaching shank inserted through the base-plate and adapted to secure itand the base-plate to the part of the receptacle on which they aremounted, the face-plate forming with the base-plate a keeper-receivingsocket and said face-plate being provided in one wall with a transversegroove opening into said socket, a bail-likc locking catch swung in saidgroove and adapted to fit within said groove in the baseplatesubstantially flush with the bulged rim of the latter, the upper memberof said catch being flattened on one side and the catch being soarranged that when it is swung outwardly the flat face will lie flushwith the wall of the keeper-receiving socket and when swung downwardlywill project beyond said wall, said catch being mounted. to freelyswing, and a keeper secured to the other part and adapted to enter saidsocket, said keeper being formed within the margin of its outer end witha groove adapted to register with the groove in the base-plate, as andfor the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN F. HULBERT.

ICC

